Their Second Chance
by Slytherin-Princess10
Summary: Sequel to The Past Comes Home! Beth is once again back home in Georgia (for good) and is trying to win Daryl's forgiveness for everything that she has done. She's not sure how she's going to do it, but she knows that Daryl holds her heart so she is going to do everything in her power to make sure they get their second chance. (AU NO ZOMBIES! Bethyl, BethXDaryl)
1. Chapter 1

**Ta-da! Sequel is up! Have the first few chapters planned out so updates should be fairly frequent. Hope you guys enjoy this one! **

**If you're new, this is a sequel to my story titled 'The Past Comes Home' and I strongly recommend reading that before this so you can understand what is going on.**

**Thanks again to Riain who beta'd this and who will be helping me out a ton with planning out this story!**

Beth pulled up to her parent's farm again, this time with all her belongings in tow. Her mother appeared looking quite confused as she was hopping down from her large rental truck. Beth pulled a suitcase from the back and walked over to her mom, a huge grin plastered on her face.

"Back so soon Bethy?"

"I'm home mama." Annette's small smile widened as she began to understand the true meaning of Beth's words. She wasn't just visiting this time, she had come back for good. Annette wrapped an arm around Beth's shoulders and ushered her into the house. She took the suitcase and set it next to the door.

"I just made a fresh batch of sweet tea, come have some with me." Beth nodded, knowing her mother really just wanted to talk with her. She did have some explaining to do.

Once they were seated at the dining table with their ice cold drinks, Annette began the conversation. "You know I'm so happy to have you back here Bethy, but I am a little bit confused. Last I heard from your father you were on a plane back to New York. I was a little hurt you didn't bother saying goodbye."

Beth nodded, knowing she would be a little angry if she were in her mother's shoes. "I did go back to New York. I didn't say goodbye because the plan always was to come back here. I broke things off with Zach."

Annette gasped. "Oh dear! Did something happen? He seemed like such a gentleman."

"It wasn't anything Zach did…it was me. I can't marry someone I don't love." The wounds in her heart from her breakup were still fresh, making her feel guilty all over again.

Annette hummed, "Yes, that wouldn't be a very nice thing to do. May I ask what changed? It just seemed like everything was fine between you two."

Beth started picking at her cuticles again, letting her mother know she was nervous. "Daryl…"

Annette smiled again at hearing his name. "What about Daryl?"

"Being back here was so hard for me, for many reasons, but I realized one of those reasons was that…I still loved him, and I guess that I just can't run away from him again."

"You know, that boy was a wreck when you left, tore him up something awful." Annette knew just the words to cement her daughter's decision. Annette had seen the pain Daryl went through without Beth around, it tore at the mother's heartstrings.

Beth's ears perked up at this. She knew Daryl must have been a mess when she abandoned him, but her mother seemed to know a bit more than she let on. She raised an eyebrow as she looked her mother in the eye.

Annette chuckled. "You didn't think I would just disown that sweet young man because you guys were having some trouble, did you?"

"No, I suppose not…I guess I just didn't think about it at all." It was true, Beth really didn't ever think about how her parents would react to Daryl after she had left. They didn't know the full story of what had happened.

"He comes over usually every week for dinner, helps your father out with some things on the farm. It really only stopped when you came back with Zach. Can't blame him though, I imagine it must have been pretty painful."

Beth bit her lip and nodded once again. "I imagine so too." Her mother just looked at her and sighed. "How do I fix this? I want to be with him, but do you really think he could forgive me?"

"You won't know until you talk to him," the corners of her mother's mouth turned up into a tiny smirk "but something tells me that Daryl has a soft spot for you."

They sat together and finished their drinks while talking about lighter things, such as what Beth was thinking of doing now that she was back down here or if she would get her own place to stay. Her parents weren't going to force her to go out and get a job, as long as she helped around the farm, but they both knew that Beth couldn't just sit at home all day for long.

On her way up to her bedroom, she passed by her father's 'office' and he had a smug smile on his face and just nodded at her as she passed. Beth couldn't help but giggle at her dad – he was all knowing.

Much like last time she returned home, Beth flopped down onto her bed and pulled out her phone to text Maggie.

_You free tonight?_

Beth fiddled her thumbs for the couple minutes it took Maggie to text her back. She laughed as she read the reply.

_You're back AGAIN?! And here I thought you just ditched us. ;) Come over later, we can have a sleepover, with junk food….lots of junk food._

Beth got up and pulled her suitcase up onto her bed, thinking about how she'd need help getting her other belongings from the truck, and began to unpack. It was weird for her because it made it feel even more real. Unpacking meant you were planning on staying a while, and while that may be Beth's plan, it didn't make her any less anxious about the things to come.

It was seven in the evening after Beth had showered, changed, and began the short journey to Maggie's house. She pulled up in front of her sister's modest two bedroom home that she shared with her husband, Glenn.

She didn't bother knocking, instead opting to just walk right in since the door was unlocked. Maggie was sitting on the couch, flipping through the channels on television, and didn't seem to notice that her sister was now present. Beth quietly closed the door before creeping up behind the couch.

"Boo!" Maggie jumped about three feet up into the air, the remote control flying across the room in the process. Beth fell to floor because she ended up laughing so hard. Clutching her stomach, she looked up at her sister who was breathing heavily and glaring at Beth.

"Good lord Beth! That was just plain mean!"

Beth just continued to laugh at her sister and soon Maggie was chuckling along as well.

Once they were calmed down enough, they sat next to each other on the couch, both of them getting comfortable and pulling their legs up underneath them.

"So where's Glenn off to tonight?" Beth tugged a throw pillow from behind her and hugged it to her chest.

"He's working down at that new pizza place 'bout twenty minutes from here. Trying to save up some more money." Beth raised her eyebrows at her sister's words.

"Are you guys having money problems or something?"

Maggie shook her head, eyes sparkling. "We're going to try and have a baby."

Beth was silent for a few seconds as she processed what Maggie had said, and then she squealed, reaching over to pull her sister into a hug. "Oh Maggie that's so wonderful!"

Maggie tried to reply but she was currently being smothered by Beth's hair in her face. Realizing this, Beth released her death grip. "Thanks Beth…I guess I was kinda nervous about tellin' you. Didn't know how you'd react after everything with Andy."

Beth's face dropped but she quickly plastered another grin on her face. "Nonsense! This is great news. I'm really happy for you guys." She put her hand on her sister's shoulder and squeezed.

"It might take a while apparently…'cause I've been on my birth control for so long, but I've been off it for two months now, so it could happen anytime."

Beth just nodded, trying to keep the smile on her face. She was happy for her sister, truly, but it did hurt thinking about her sister having a baby when Beth herself had one and had lost him. She was thankful when Maggie changed the topic.

"So, tell me all about what happened with Zach. Your text didn't exactly explain much when you were at the airport."

Beth explained to her sister how the meeting with her now ex-fiancé' had gone, every heart wrenching detail. Maggie nodded along and listened carefully, feeling her sister's pain as she talked about the break up. Maggie was glad that Beth hadn't decided to marry Zach as anyone could see she was obviously very much still in love with Daryl. As the thought of him came into her mind, she questioned Beth about him.

"What are you going to do about Daryl?" Maggie prodded her sister carefully, knowing her emotions were raw.

Beth shrugged, "Honestly, I haven't thought that far ahead yet. He probably hates me after all I've done, especially the other day with the divorce papers. He still doesn't know I didn't sign them."

"Maybe you should just pretend like you're starting all over. Go track him down at the bar and send him a drink or something…it sounds very romantic comedy." Maggie was always the one to plot and plan, sometimes getting Beth into trouble.

Beth giggled at her sister's suggestion but the more she thought about it, the more she realized that it wasn't such a horrible idea.

"Would I just look stupid doin' that though? Seems kinda desperate…" Beth huffed at the sheer insanity of her sister's evil plan, would it work?

"Beth you _are _desperate." Maggie rolled her eyes, pinning Beth with her gaze.

Maggie's words were true and Beth knew it. They spent the rest of the night planning out what Beth would do to win Daryl back, all while stuffing their faces with pizza (delivered by Glenn) and cookies. Beth fell asleep on the couch, not even bothering to move to the bed in their guest room, and quickly fell into what had to be the most peaceful sleep she had in months. Perhaps it was because now that she had a plan, she felt like she was closer to getting Daryl back.

**Chapter 2 to come soon…with everyone's favorite Dixon in it. **


	2. Chapter 2

**Yay here is chapter 2! Daryl will be making his first appearance of the story. **

**Thanks again to Riain, who spends so much time working with me and going through these chapters after I write them and adds things to make it a million times better! She is truly amazing! And if you aren't currently reading her stories, what the hell is wrong with you? DO IT NOW!**

It was five days after she had spent the night with Maggie. She had wanted to wait for a Friday so she knew Daryl would be out. So here she was on April 11th, 2014, standing in front of her mirror, critiquing every aspect of her current outfit. Maggie had taken her to the big shopping mall a few towns over a couple of days ago and helped Beth pick out an outfit. Beth didn't remember it looking so…_slutty_ in the store.

Maggie had assured her over and over again that she looked good but Beth was still a woman so no matter how many times she had been told she looked good, she would still find flaws. The dark wash denim jeans looked as if they had been painted on. Beth was skinny but she felt like she was trying to re-cork a champagne bottle as she wrestled her round ass into them. Her blank tank top was loose, the fabric on her chest slung so low that parts of her red pushup bra were peeking out of the top. She didn't feel confident nor comfortable with her boobs pushed up and together on display.

She sighed as she leaned forward to closer inspect her makeup. The words that came to mind were not flattering…_trashy…streetwalker…desperate. _Beth sighed, knowing that she was indeed desperate. She tried to focus on Maggie's words in her mind. _'It's not bad Beth! You're just not used to wearing make-up." _It was true, Beth was more of a mascara and chapstick kind of girl. Looking in the mirror now she actually laughed at the thought of just wearing some mascara. Her eyes were done up with a thick line of black eyeliner, her lashes thicker than normal due to the extra coats of the black sludge. Her skin looked like porcelain when compared to the bright red lipstick that was slathered on her lips. All in all she probably didn't look half bad, but it just seemed like _too much_ for Beth.

She turned away and took a step, almost falling flat on her face. She cursed the tall red heels, feeling like she was Bambi trying to walk for the first time. Another thing that Beth was not accustomed to was wearing any kind of high heel. Growing up on a farm did not allow for such stylish things and even when she had moved to New York she often stuck to flats.

She took a big breath in and held it there, trying to calm herself down. _'I can do this.'_ It was like she was mentally preparing for battle, which in a way she was. She released the air out in a huff and swiped her black clutch off her bed and exited the room. She took the stairs slowly, hand gripping the rail so she didn't tumble and break her damn neck. Luckily it was well past ten at night, meaning her parents were already in bed. This was fortunate because she knew her parents would have words about her attire.

She grabbed the keys to her rental, thinking about how she needed to get a car of her own soon because she didn't have the money to keep it for much longer. Making her way outside she knew she should have grabbed a jacket because as soon as her naked arms hit the night air, goose bumps had risen all over her skin.

Managing to climb into the truck in her ridiculous shoes, she cranked the engine and swung around to make her way to the bar. Beth hoped that Daryl would be there and that she didn't do herself up like this all for nothing.

Pulling into one of the open spots at the end of the parking lot, Beth shut off the truck but made no move to exit. Her hands gripped the wheel so hard that her knuckles were turning white. She really wished that she had Maggie here with her _now_ for another pep talk. She wasn't sure how Daryl would react to all of this and she couldn't really blame him if he wanted nothing to do with her but she hoped and prayed that he would accept her with loving open arms. The thought made her chuckle as the image of Beth and Daryl running into each other's arms in slow motion on a beach somewhere entered her mind. The small laugh was enough to calm her frazzled nerves and give her the courage to head inside.

She tried to hold her head up as she walked inside, trying to appear confident. It seemed to be working because instead of having to push her way through the people like normal, it seemed like the bar patrons were just clearing out of her path. It never ceased to amaze her how such a small town would have such a lively nightlife. She walked up to the end of the bar and managed to grab a stool from someone who had just vacated it. The man on her left was openly staring at her cleavage, obviously he liked the shirt Maggie had picked out for her. She turned her body slightly to the right, hopefully the gentleman would get the hint that she wasn't interested. She ordered a vodka with cranberry juice but made sure to take small sips. She wanted to be loose but not so drunk that she couldn't remember what she wanted to say. After half her drink was gone, she brushed a chunk of her now curly hair behind her ear and turned to look around the dimly lit room, trying to see if she could spot Daryl. Her eyes scanned the crowd for his face and right about when she was going to call it quits and accept that he was obviously not there, she saw him. He was standing around with a couple of guys she didn't recognize and he seemed to be having a good time. She saw him laugh at something one of the other men must have said as she turned back to the bar and signaled the bartender over.

"Can I send a drink over to that man over there?" She turned around and pointed at him.

The bartender seemed to know who she was talking about as he replied. "Daryl? Yeah, sure, whatcha want me to send?"

Beth thought for a moment, a finger lightly tapping her chin. Her finger straightened up as she spoke. "Jack and coke, please."

He nodded at her. "I'll get right on it." With that, he smiled at her and went to go make up the cocktail.

Beth closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths in through her nose and out through her mouth. In just a moment, Daryl would know who had sent the drink over to him and there was no turning back after that.

She saw the bartender had finished making the beverage and was about to make his way over to Daryl. She turned around to look for him and when she spotted him, her heart dropped, any confidence she had was now shattered.

There hanging all over Daryl, looking even trashier than Beth did, was some short thin woman with obviously bleached blonde hair and the shortest skirt Beth had ever seen. She shot off the bar stool, feeling tears starting to pool in her eyes. She knew this was a stupid idea but she just _had_ to listen to Maggie. She pulled out some cash from her clutch and threw it on the bar before bolting towards the door, hoping she didn't throw up all over some unsuspecting customer.

The cool air that once made her shiver was now welcomed by her as she immediately relaxed when she felt the chill on her skin.

Meanwhile, Daryl looked towards the door just in time to see a flash of blonde hair disappear through it. His stomach clenched as it reminded him of Beth. He would know her light silky locks anywhere, always so different from the other girls around here with the fake fried shit they tried to pass off as hair. He knew he was just seeing shit though because he had overheard in town that Beth had once again gone back to New York. He figured it would happen with nothing left here for her, he knew she really only came back to get those damn papers signed. His fingers tightened into a fist at the thought of his _divorce._

Suddenly the bartender, Jake, was in front of him holding a drink. He passed it to Daryl who was pretty confused. He tried to hand it back. "I didn't order this."

Jake put his hands up, palms facing Daryl. "Compliments of the lady at the bar."

Daryl's eyes snapped to the people sitting on the barstools and he scanned through their faces. Unless Jake was talking about that overweight woman who had to be in her early fifties then Daryl wasn't sure who he was talking about. "Who?"

Jake turned his head to look over his shoulder, not seeing the young girl anywhere in sight. He looked to Daryl again and shrugged. "She's gone now. Was a little blonde one, real pretty. Just told me to send a drink your way."

Daryl thought on it for a second…surely it couldn't have been Beth. Not willing to risk it, he shoved the drink into one of his friend's hand, shrugging the clingy woman off of his arm, and pushed past Jake to make his way out of the bar.

He saw her at the other end of the parking lot, standing outside of a new truck trying to turn the key in the door, not even realizing it had one of those fancy alarm key fobs to unlock it with. Daryl started jogging towards her. "Beth!"

Her head snapped up and when her eyes met his, he could see the few tears that had fallen, her cheeks now glistening in the moonlight. She dropped her hand, her keys falling to the dirt lot.

"What the fuck are ya doin' here Beth?" He asked as he stopped a couple feet away from her and put his hands on his hips.

"I…uh…" Shit, had she forgotten how to speak?

"Heard you was back up north already. Didn't take long for you to run on back." Daryl's snide comment wasn't lost on Beth, he was pissed.

"No, Daryl…I-" Beth stammered, the words caught in her throat.

Daryl cut her off, not even letting her try to explain.

"I get it though. Got what ya wanted from me. Spend the night in my bed then want me to sign those fuckin' papers so you could go on home to that fuckin' Yankee." He wasn't yelling, and even though his voice was deadly calm, Beth could tell he was pissed. Daryl was hurt and when he felt pain, he got angry. However, these statements were starting to get Beth fired up. How dare he not even let her get a word in?

"Are you kidding me? Didn't seem to take you long either! I saw that _woman_ hanging all over you! I bet you had someone new in _your _bed that night!" Her voice kept rising the longer she went on, her own anger surging to the front.

"You don't know what the fuck you're talking about, little girl." He pointed an accusing finger right in her face.

She smacked his hand away, yelling back at him. "YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT!"

Daryl stepped back from her while she screamed in his face. "Fuckin' forget this shit, I ain't fightin' with you no more. We're _divorced_, remember? I can fuck whoever the hell I want, when I want. I don't have to answer to you."

Beth felt as though she had been slapped. It would have been the most opportune time to tell Daryl that they weren't actually divorced, but all she was hearing was that he wanted to go off and have sex with other women. She didn't expect him to mope around forever but hearing this just plain hurt. It didn't feel nice to get a taste of her own medicine.

She swiped at the tears on her face angrily, and bent over to pick up the keys, almost falling and landing on her head because of those damn shoes. Daryl reached out to steady her but she put her hands up. "_DON'T_ touch me." Daryl retracted his hands and shoved them in his pockets and watched as she climbed up into the truck and drove off.

'_Fuck'_ Daryl thought to himself, trying to understand what the hell had just transpired between them in the dirt lot of Jake's Roadhouse.

Daryl kind of felt like a dick, knowing there was obviously a reason that she had come here. She sent him a drink for fuck's sake. He walked back towards the entrance to the bar, hoping his friends would sense the change in mood and that the cheap looking woman would leave him the fuck alone. No matter what Daryl might have implied, right now he didn't want anyone in his bed.

As he ordered a shot, he couldn't help but think about how good Beth's ass looked in those jeans.

**Dun dun dun… You didn't think it would just immediately be smooth sailing, did you? Don't worry, this story will be a lot lighter than the first one so rest assured that they will eventually reconcile! **

**Reviews make chapters come a whole lot faster…Just sayin'.**


	3. Chapter 3

**So this chapter is more of a filler, but it had to be done to set up for later events. I have already started writing chapter 4 though so that will be up shortly! **

**Also, I have started really mapping out the story and I have a total of 19 chapters planned out and that's just the beginning so I hope you guys are in it for the long haul! **

**And holy shit, 47 reviews in two chapters?! I love you guys, seriously!**

It was the Thursday after Beth had the run in with Daryl at Jake's and she decided she was no longer going to mope around the house. It had hurt her to know that she really did have no claim over Daryl. She had fucked him over, time and time again, and expected just to show up and pretend like everything was okay. That didn't happen. Instead they ended up arguing in the parking lot of the rowdy bar and Beth had once again stormed off, leaving Daryl in her rear view mirror. She saw him go back inside the bar and wondered if he was going to pick up that cheap blonde that had been hanging all over him.

Today was a new day for Beth though. She wasn't going to lay around in bed feeling sorry for herself. She was going to go out to find a job so she could finally start earning some money again. She didn't have a whole lot saved up, mostly just enough to buy a cheap car, and even then she wasn't ready to return her rental just yet. She needed the truck for something first.

She got up at seven in the morning, probably the earliest she had been up in quite a while, and showered. She got dressed in a black pencil skirt, a white button up shirt, and black shoes with a small heel. The outfit was probably a little too formal for going around the small town to ask about jobs, but it was the only thing Beth owned that didn't have holes or expose her arms and legs completely. She put her hair in a tight ponytail and applied some mascara before deciding she looked acceptable enough to go downstairs.

Walking into the dining room, Beth could smell the things her mother was cooking in the kitchen and only then did she realize how hungry she really was.

"Smells good, mama! Whatcha cookin'?" Beth sat down at the table, knowing her mother would bring her a plate.

Her mother turned around to see her daughter sitting at the old table. "Pancakes and bacon."

Beth's mouth watered at the thought. "Extra bacon please." Her mother just smiled at her.

"You look mighty fancy today, Bethy. Where is it you're planning on going?" Her mother was finishing up the pancakes and moved on to making Beth a plate.

"Gotta go find some sort of job before I totally run out of money." Beth sighed, not really looking forward to the day but knowing it had to be done.

"Good plan." Her mother nodded and carried the plate over and set it down in front of her daughter.

Beth didn't wait even a second before she dug into the meal, feeling her stomach growl at her. She felt kind of like a pig but she didn't care because of how hungry she was. Her mother looked over to see Beth's mouth stuffed with the fluffy pancakes and she just laughed while her daughter blushed.

Finishing her food, she put her plate in the sink and rinsed it off. She kissed her mother on the cheek. "Thanks mom, that was really good."

Annette's eyes twinkled as she spoke. "Really? I couldn't tell."

Beth gave an embarrassed chuckle before grabbing her truck keys, her purse and exiting the house, yelling a goodbye to her mom.

"Good luck!" Her mother just shook her head, still smiling at her daughter's behavior. She was just glad that she was leaving the house today. Beth needed to get out and do something before she drove everyone in the house crazy as much as they loved her.

The first place Beth went to was the diner, hoping she'd be able to get hired again after so many years. It didn't pan out as well as she had hoped.

"Please Janice, you must have something for me." Beth felt defeated, knowing this was her best lead. However, the motherly owner didn't have any openings.

"I just don't have the money to hire someone else, Beth. I'm sorry, but if we do end up needing someone, you'll be the first person I call." She put a hand on Beth's shoulder, her eyes truly apologetic.

"I get it...thanks anyways." Beth sighed. She was extremely disappointed but knew Janice was telling the truth.

"I hope you find somethin', hun." Janice pulled the young girl in for a quick hug before Beth left the establishment.

She spent the rest of the day driving around to every place she could think of but it seemed no one in the small town had a need for a girl who had nothing but waitress experience. Beth was now fully discouraged, worried she'd have to get a job in one of the neighboring towns knowing that would be a huge waste of money spent on gas.

It was after three in the afternoon when Beth was making her way back to her house and saw the sign in the dingy window by chance. 'Help wanted' it had read in orange block letters. She sighed and pulled into the parking lot of Jake's Roadhouse for the second time in less than a week.

The parking lot was empty, except for a couple cars and she just hoped that the owner was there and that he'd take a chance on hiring her. She had the waitressing experience but Beth hadn't really ever frequented bars, let alone worked in one.

She stumbled across the dirt lot in her heels and pushed open the door. The few customers that were most likely regulars all looked up at her from drowning their sorrows in the middle of the day and raised their brows. She certainly didn't look like she belonged.

Smoothing down her shirt, now even more self-conscious, she walked up to the bar and saw it was the same man who had helped her out the other night. Beth cleared her throat and he turned around and couldn't help but give a single huff of breath at her attire in amusement.

"Can I help you miss?" The bartender did his best to keep the roughness out of his voice, a young girl like her didn't need to be gruffed at like the normal drunks that came through the door.

"Uh...yeah. I'm Beth. I saw the help wanted sign in the window and was wondering if you needed a waitress." It was when she spoke that Jake recognized her as the girl from the other night that had got Dixon all up in arms.

"You got any experience?" He set down the glass he had been wiping, eyeing Beth critically.

"Just some restaurants, no bars, but how different could it really be?" Beth gave a nervous chuckle, wishing he'd take a chance on her, desperately hoping she didn't get turned away yet again.

Jake seemed to think on it for a moment, scrutinizing her with his gaze. Beth fidgeted under his stare. She visibly relaxed when he spoke again. "What the hell? Yer cute enough, customers will like you just fine in my opinion. Can ya start tonight?"

Beth's eyes widened, thinking to herself that the situation went better than she thought it would. She stuttered out a response. "Uh..y-yeah! What time?"

"Be back here at 6 and I'll show ya the ropes before we get busy. And uh...I'd recommend a different choice in clothes." He gestured to her outfit, not the kind of clothes she would want destroyed in Jake's place.

Beth blushed and nodded, "Yeah, I'll do that."

The bartender stuck his hand out for her to shake. "Welcome aboard Beth, I'm Jake."

"Nice to meet you Jake. I'll see you tonight!" She shook his hand and then exited, ready to make her way home to prepare for her first night on the job.

Back at her parent's house, Beth was digging through her clothing trying to decide what to wear. She knew she was going to wear her favorite pair of cut off shorts because they were really comfortable and knew Jake wouldn't mind the show of skin.

Currently her problem was deciding on a shirt, which made Beth realized that she truly did own too many. She finally decided on a long sleeved black shirt so she wouldn't feel totally naked. Shoes were the easiest part, deciding on a worn in pair of brown cowboy boots that came up mid-calf.

She looked every bit country when she was dressed for the night. She spritzed on some perfume and grabbed her bag off her bed. Beth said goodbye to her parents as she walked out the door, not wanting to stop and chat and end up being late for her first night.

When she arrived back at the bar, there were more people present than earlier but it still wasn't exactly crowded. Jake showed her where everything was and explained to her that he would be making the drinks and she would be delivering them to the bar patrons. Beth was overwhelmed and felt like she should be taking notes but Jake decided to just throw her straight into things.

As the night went on, more people showed up but Beth hung in there. Overall she felt like she had done a good job, sans spilling a couple drinks, luckily not actually on anyone. She got some tips, and a whole lot of compliments. Some dirtier than others.

Around two in the morning, Jake closed up shop, finally managing to coax the last drunk standing out of the bar. Beth sat exhausted and sweating on a bar stool. He walked over to her and she looked up at him. "How'd I do?"

"Not too bad, Blondie. I think I'll keep ya around." Jake smirked at her, knowing she did do a pretty good job for a first timer.

Beth yawned. "Gotta get used to this schedule I guess."

Jake nodded. "It'll take some time. Why don't you take the weekend off and come back on Monday so you can get some more practice in before the real busy nights come?"

Beth agreed, thankful that she wouldn't be working this weekend because she knew it would ruin the plans she had for Daryl. "Thanks Jake, I just want you to know I really appreciate all this."

Jake gently shoved her shoulder. "It ain't nothin'. Now git outta here so I can go home!"

Beth laughed and hopped off the stool, grabbed her bag from behind the counter and made her way out to the dark lot. She couldn't wait to get home to get some sleep before she had to pay her husband a visit tomorrow. It still felt kind of strange calling Daryl her husband after so many years apart and the recent turn of events.

Beth glanced at the clock on her dashboard and realized it was actually later today she would go see Daryl. She groaned as she thought about how her days and nights were going to get all sorts of mixed up now, and tried to keep her eyes open as she made her way back to the farm. She looked forward to collapsing onto her bed and sleeping for as long as possible.

**Thanks again to Riain, who might I just add again is so amazing and wonderful. LOVE YOU!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Pretty short chapter but it's the second update in one day so just be thankful for that ;)**

Daryl was thanking his lucky stars it was finally Friday. To say he was having a bad day would be an understatement. To start off, he woke up an hour late for work and it was then that he knew the day wouldn't go according to plan. Once he finally arrived he realized they were two people short meaning he had to pick up the slack and they were _swamped._

To make matters even worse, Daryl had been reaching inside the engine of one of the big trucks and ended up catching his arm on a hose clamp tail that someone had left long and jagged, resulting in a nice sized gash about 4 inches long on his forearm. He was currently sitting in the office with a dirty rag wrapped around his arm, trying to explain to his boss that he didn't need stitches when in reality he knew he did.

He was about to give in and head over to the hospital to get it checked out when he looked up out the window. He saw that fucking blonde hair popping out from what he guessed was now her truck and stood up. He stormed out the door, still holding the dirty rag to his arm, blood dripping as he walked out to her.

Beth froze as she saw Daryl's glare, knowing he was probably wondering what the hell she was doing here. Her eyes trailed down to his bleeding appendage and she rushed forward. "Oh god, what happened?" She tried to get a look at his arm but he yanked it away.

"S'just a cut. What are you doin' here?" Daryl didn't waste any time inquiring as to why Beth would be showing up at his work of all places.

Beth stared at his arm with wide eyes before she snapped out of it and reached back into the truck to pull out a bag. "Brought you some lunch...thought we could talk about some stuff."

"I'm workin' Beth." Daryl's stomach was growling at him, trying to persuade him to take the meal from her. He'd forgotten to grab or pack a lunch in the rush of the morning with him being late.

Beth nodded, "Yeah...looks like you need to make a run to the hospital now though. I uh...could take you if you want. Might be kind of hard to drive with that."

She did have a point and they both knew it. "Shit..." Daryl was reluctant, clearly not wanting to be in such an enclosed space with Beth at the moment, especially now that the blood loss was starting to get him light headed. "Fine." With that, he went over to the passenger side of the truck and yanked it open before hopping in.

Beth was happy he had accepted but tried to play it cool knowing he really didn't have many options. She started up the truck and looked over and was pleased to see that Daryl was actually trying to be polite and not bleed all over her rental, instead letting the small crimson droplets fall onto his already filthy coveralls.

"Try not to get it on the seats, it's only a rental." That answered Daryl's question as to whether or not this was her new truck. He saw her pick up the bag and pull out a sandwich, unwrapping it for him. She put it in his bad hand so his good one could hold the rag in place. "Chicken salad, mama made it for you." Daryl's stomach growled again at the words, knowing this was his favorite and Annette knew it.

It ended up working out pretty while, eating his sandwich with his bad hand. Bringing the sandwich to his mouth kept his arm elevated and helped stifle the blood flow. He finished the sandwich as they were pulling up to the hospital. "Tell yer mom I said thanks." Beth nodded at him. "And uh...thanks for bringing it to me...and driving me here." Daryl did at least know when he _should _be polite.

Beth smiled at him as she shut off the truck. "Not a problem." She opened the door and Daryl gave her a confused look.

"You don't have to stay, I'll just call one of my buddies to come get me." Beth was already out of the truck by the time he finished, giving him a look as to say _'don't even try that with me'_. He sighed and opened the door, exiting the vehicle.

They walked in to the small emergency department and signed in. It would be a few minutes of waiting and Beth had the sense to ask for something a little more clean to help stop the bleeding with. The receptionist came back with some paper towels for her and Beth knew it would at least do the job for a couple minutes.

She walked over to Daryl and held out her hand for his arm. He reluctantly held it out and Beth crouched down and put her hand on the bloody rag. She quickly pulled it away and pressed down with the paper towels. It was weird to Daryl that he felt comforted with her hands on him but it was also awkward so he quickly put his hand over the thin cloth and nodded at her. Beth threw the rag in the trash, knowing that it probably shouldn't be left in there but didn't really care all that much.

She sat next to him in silence until a nurse came out and called his name. Beth didn't even give him a choice of going on his own, opting to follow them back to a bed that was sectioned off by a curtain. Daryl plopped down on the bed, ready to get this over with so he could just go home.

"Alright Mr. Dixon, let's take a look." Daryl grunted and held out his arm. The nurse slowly peeled back the paper towels and tsk'ed. "Oh yes, you'll definitely need stitches." Daryl had a look on his face like he wanted to say 'no shit' but opted to keep his mouth shut. "Let me just clean this and I'll send the doctor in to put in some sutures." The nurse spoke to Beth, like Daryl wasn't even there which pissed him off to no end. He wasn't an infant and Beth wasn't his keeper.

After she irrigated the wound, she ran and got the doctor. The older gentleman came in and greeted them before sitting down and pulling out the suture kit. He began work quickly, making small talk with both Daryl and Beth. Neither of them were really grossed out by the wound or the sewing but they both hated hospitals. The doctor quickly finished and must have noticed Beth nervously picking at her cuticles because he looked over at her and spoke. "Oh don't worry, your husband is gonna be just fine." Beth blushed and before she could even get a word out, Daryl decided to choose this time to speak up.

"I'm not her husband." His voice was cold and it stabbed Beth's heart.

The doctor apologized for his assumption, gave Daryl a prescription for antibiotics because of the dirty conditions at his work and was told he could be on his way.

Once back in the truck, Beth saw it was already after three in the afternoon. "Am I taking you home or back to work?"

Daryl looked over at the clock. "Need to get my truck." Beth nodded at him before starting the engine and taking off. The drive was silent, Beth still hurting from Daryl's comment about not being her husband but knowing it's what he thought was true. She wanted so badly to blurt out then that he was still in fact her husband but she had other plans.

Arriving back at his work, Daryl was opening the door after thanking her again. As he started out of the truck, Beth caught his attention. "Daryl..." He looked back at her. "Can we talk tonight? I have a lot of stuff I need to get out."

Daryl huffed, knowing he didn't owe her shit, but he was curious as to why she was back here again and why she had decided to show up at his work. He looked at her for a moment before giving her a single nod. Beth smiled at his response. "Okay I'll meet you at your house tonight at seven."

Daryl nodded again and shut the door behind him. Beth watched him walk over to his truck and get in before she left back onto the road towards the farm. She had some preparations she needed to take care of to make the night perfect.

**Chapter 5 will be Beth meeting up with Daryl that night.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Here is chapter 5. REALLY difficult to write because there are SO many emotions being felt by both parties. I hope you guys enjoy it!**

Beth pulled up to Daryl's – and technically her house. She left the truck running as she jogged up to the door and knocked. A few seconds went by and it opened to reveal a very groggy looking Daryl.

"Hey...did I wake you?" Beth thought she was right on time but if you were to look at Daryl you'd think she was pretty early.

He shook his head at her, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. "Nah, just woke up a few minutes ago." Daryl looked past her and saw the truck lights on, beaming towards the front door. "You're not staying? Thought we was gonna talk." Beth thought he might have sounded a little disappointed and it made her smile just a little bit.

"We're both leaving." Her voice came out confident, but inside she was praying Daryl would agree. He raised an eyebrow at her but Beth wouldn't elaborate any more than she already had. Just as Daryl was about to step out and shut the door behind him, Beth spoke up again. "Grab a jacket." This peaked Daryl's interest again.

Daryl was skeptical while riding in the passenger seat next to Beth. He could honestly say he had no idea what she was up to. His curiosity was the main reason he had accepted her 'offer', but deep down in his heart he also knew it was because he couldn't say no to this woman for long.

Beth glanced over at Daryl, wondering what he was thinking as he hadn't said a word since he had gotten his jacket and followed her to the truck. He wasn't even questioning her as to where they were going and she knew that it must be bothering him but she wasn't about to tell him. He'd figure it out soon enough.

Another ten minutes had gone by and Daryl was looking out the window and what he saw made his breath hitch a little in his throat. It was nothing, but everything at the same time. It was then that he realized he'd been on this abandoned road to nowhere before – their first date. His eyebrows furrowed together, knowing Beth had planned this for a reason. Instead of getting his questions answered, more formed in the confused recesses of his mind.

Beth pulled up to the same spot that Daryl had those many years before and shut off the engine. She looked over at him, trying to gauge his reaction but it was like his face was a blank slate. If Beth could only get a look at his eyes then maybe she would have an idea of what he was thinking. Still, Daryl wasn't saying a word.

Beth sighed and opened up her door, leaving Daryl by himself in the cab of the truck. He heard her climb into the bed but made no move to exit. She was shuffling around back there, obviously busying herself with something, leaving Daryl alone with his thoughts for a few short moments. The one thought that kept repeating over in his mind was _'what the fuck?'_

Beth finished her last minute preparations and hopped down from the truck bed. She opened the passenger side door and when she did, Daryl finally looked at her. His eyebrows were scrunched together but he didn't look angry, he was trying to figure out what was going on.

"What the hell are we doing here?" Daryl growled, loud enough to make Beth jump.

Beth shrugged her shoulders. "Seemed like a good place to talk. Come on, I want to show you something." She gestured with her hand for him to follow her as she walked towards the back of the truck.

Daryl waited a few seconds, acting as if he wasn't going to follow her when in reality he knew he would follow her anywhere if it came down to it. He got out of the truck and saw Beth standing in the bed again, waiting on him. His eyes wandered down to her feet and saw that there in the back of the truck was a blanket spread out with a picnic basket resting on it. He looked up to Beth's eyes again and saw she looked nervous and hopeful all at the same time. He figured out that there was an actual reason why Beth brought him here – she was trying to recreate their first date.

"You tryin' to screw with my head?" Daryl watched as hurt briefly flickered across Beth's wide innocent eyes. His tone was a little harsh but it was time for her to answer his questions. "You came back here – _again_. We got a fuckin' divorce and you're tryin' to act like we're a couple a kids on a date or some shit. Sure seems like you're fuckin' with me."

Beth cringed. It wasn't the reaction she had hoped for, but again that was her fault for keeping Daryl in the dark. She sat down on the tailgate, legs swinging below her. Daryl walked over and stood in front of her, looking at her expectantly. "You best start talkin' right fuckin' now or I'm outta here."

Her eyes were fixed on her swaying feet as she began to speak. "I'm sorry...for everything. For running, for abandoning you and our marriage, for not just letting you move on. I just...can't seem to let you go." She sucked in a harsh breath and looked up into those steely blue eyes, being careful not to get lost in them. "I still love you."

"Shit..." Again not the reaction she was expecting. "Why are you doing this, Beth?" It had broken his heart when she had left him for the second time after the night they shared, but Daryl knew he could go on, maybe not living the happiest life but living nonetheless. He did it before, he could do it again. But here she was, sitting in front of him confessing her love for him and that was a helluva lot more complicated.

"I didn't sign the papers." Beth whispered, looking right in his eyes. Daryl stepped towards her as soon as the words left her mouth.

"What are you sayin'?" He knew what she was saying but had to hear the words come from her mouth to actually believe it. He could feel his heart beating about a million beats per second like it was ready to jump out of chest.

Beth sucked in another breath. Daryl wasn't giving much away on how he was feeling, although his tone had lightened just a little bit. "We aren't divorced...because I never signed the papers. I couldn't! I still love you and maybe it's selfish of me but I still want you – no, _need_ you in my life." She was almost knocked backwards as Daryl crushed his arms around her.

Daryl couldn't believe what he was doing, his body must be running on autopilot. His arms were secured around Beth so hard that she couldn't even hug him back. He stood there for a second, breathing in the familiar scent of her hair that his face was almost buried in. He finally came to his senses and slowly let go of her and stepping back. "Sorry." he managed to mumble out as his eyes centered on her feet dangling off the tailgate.

Beth tried to pretend like it was no big deal, when in fact it was huge. She was trying to treat Daryl almost like she would an animal, not wanting to freak him out and scare him off, so she just nodded at him and continued on. "I _did_ go back to New York...but only so I could talk to Zach in person and break things off. And even if you don't want to take me back, it was still the right thing to do." She began picking at her cuticles once again and Daryl had to resist lightly smacking her hand so she would stop.

"Would you...uh...ever take me back?" Words couldn't even describe how vulnerable she felt in that moment. Her voice wavered, fear dotting the words carefully, this was her heart on the line and the ball was Daryl's to play.

"Shit Beth..." Daryl was never known for his eloquence. She felt her heart drop into her stomach that was currently churning. "It's not that I don't want to...I just don't know if I can...fuck."

He was obviously conflicted. On one hand, he wanted to grab Beth's face between his hands and kiss her senseless...on the other hand, he wanted to scream and yell at her for being so heartless and keeping all this from him. The one thing he was sure of was something he could never admit out loud – he didn't want to get hurt again.

Beth shook her head frantically, hopping down from the tailgate to stand in front of Daryl. "No no no...don't say that...please." She was prepared to get on her knees and beg if she had to. "Let's just...eat. Just see how it goes, ya know?" She was hopeful and didn't know if she really had a reason to be.

Daryl let out a long sigh. He was a slave to those damn puppy dog eyes. "Yeah...okay." Beth's tense body immediately relaxed and he watched as the million watt smile lit up her face giving him a fluttering feeling in his belly.

He pulled himself up into the back of the truck and offered Beth his hand. She took it and it made him think about how perfectly they fit together as he pulled her up. They settled down onto the blanket with Beth sitting with her legs underneath her and Daryl with his back against the side of the truck and his feet straight out in front of him.

"So what we eatin'?" He tried to remain light even as the thousands of thoughts raced through his mind. He was glad he did that because he was rewarded with another one of those blinding smiles.

They sat together and ate their food mostly in silence, but as the last few bites were taken they fell into an easy conversation. Beth talked more about life in New York and how it wasn't all that it was cracked up to be, how she would always be that little farm girl at heart. She told him about her new job which made Daryl chuckle at the thought of Beth working in a bar.

Daryl talked about his life while she had been gone, about how his dad had died and how he felt a little ashamed that he wasn't saddened by it. They avoided talking about their feelings about each other and that was okay for the time being. It was just like they were getting to know each other all over again.

Before they knew it, the sun was breaking on the horizon. Just like their first date, they had ended up talking through the whole night. Beth yawned and Daryl rubbed his eyes sleepily as they packed up the blanket and basket before they made their way back to Daryl's place.

In front of his house, Beth wanted so badly to ask about what he thought about beginning their relationship again and she couldn't hold it in. "Daryl?" He looked over at her. "So about us getting back together..." She hoped she didn't have to elaborate anymore.

Daryl sighed. "I had a great time, Beth, I really did...but I just need some time to think everything over. It's just not that simple." He didn't want to lead her on, but he really needed to sort out his own feelings before he brought her into the mix.

"Alright." She tried to not let her voice break as she said it and was minimally happy that she at least succeeded in that. She didn't want to push him anymore than she already had.

"I'll talk to you soon, okay?" She nodded at him. She didn't bother to watch him walk inside like she normally would have. Instead, as soon as he was out of the truck, she turned the truck around and made her way back to the farm to get some sleep and hope that Daryl really would contact her soon.

**Reviews are like crack to me so... ;)**


	6. Chapter 6

**I think you guys will enjoy this one :)**

**Thanks to Riain who has a new story out called Watch Over You and I definitely recommend that you check it out if you haven't already!**

A week had gone by and Beth still hadn't heard a word from Daryl. She was honestly trying to be patient but that didn't mean she didn't pick up her phone every ten minutes to call him. Every time her finger hovered over the call button she would talk herself down, reminding herself that Daryl needed time and the least she could do was give it to him. That didn't mean she was happy though. She'd been working every night since Monday and every time she went in to start her shift, she hoped that Daryl would show up. When he didn't, she'd feel even more let down than the day before. It was hard trying to stay optimistic.

Today was Friday and she had just arrived for her first weekend shift at Jake's. Beth was already exhausted after not working for a while and she wasn't sleeping much with the constant worrying about what Daryl would eventually decide. She honestly didn't know how she was going to make it through the night.

Jake had explained to her that Fridays and Saturdays were nothing compared to the week nights, and Beth knew that having been here herself on a weekend. She didn't feel like she had been prepared enough to handle this, especially with her current mood, but once again the bartender was throwing her into the water and expecting her to swim. Her first thought was that he was just being an ass, but thinking on it further she now preferred to think that it was because he knew she would do just fine.

It seemed to be about a hundred degrees in the little building, Beth knew she was just being dramatic. The heat radiating off the bodies was indeed stifling though, and she was thanking the lord that she wore her cut off shorts and a black wife-beater tank top along with her cowboy boots. Sure, she was getting a few more uncomfortable gazes and a whole lot more lewd comments but she just waved them off knowing the best way to handle these lonely men (and women) was act like the stares and pick up lines didn't bother you.

A few hours had passed, it was now after ten and Beth felt like she was dead on her feet. She had been standing behind the bar chugging a bottle of water when she saw a group of unfamiliar guys come in who looked to be around her age, if not a little younger. If she had to guess then she would say they were probably some kids from the local colleges. She finished off the ice cold beverage and made her way over to the booth they managed to snag.

She forced a smile on her face as she arrived at the rowdy table, all four heads turning to look at her with appreciating eyes. "Evenin' boys, what can I get for ya?" Her voice came out far perkier than she felt.

One of the young men chuckled and leaned forward on his elbows on the table. "Well, that depends sugar. You happen to be on the menu?"

The other guys with him laughed along with him and Beth rolled her eyes, quickly losing any pep she had left in her. "Ha ha, that's funny. I've never heard that one before." Her voice was laced with sarcasm. "Seriously, what do you guys want to drink?"

"Oh come on now sweetheart." Beth felt her blood begin to boil, no patience left to deal with this kind of bullshit tonight. "I could treat ya real nice." Before Beth realized what had happened, this asshole had put his hand on her thigh and ran his fingers up, almost reaching her ass.

Before she could jump away from the offending hand and slap the guy across the face, his hand was gone. His face was no longer flirtatious, instead it was contorted in pain. Beth glanced down at his hand and saw a larger one wrapped around the guy's wrist.

"Bet I could treat ya real _nice _too." Daryl's voice was dripping with venom.

He might have gripped the guy's limb a little too hard and he might have waited a second too long to release it but when he did the man put his hands up. "Sorry buddy, didn't know she was taken." Daryl sneered at the term buddy. "We'll just take a pitcher." The guy's voice came out a high pitched squeak as Daryl eye fucked him.

Beth wasn't even given the option to respond before Daryl had put his hands on her shoulders and started pushing her towards the back door, his hands never leaving her body. Daryl caught Jake's eye and saw him laughing. He gave a nod at Daryl who was basically manhandling Beth trying to get outside but Jake knew he wouldn't actually hurt her. He'd seen the whole exchange at the table and was glad that Daryl intervened and now he figured they'd have some talking to do and was generous enough to let his only waitress be dragged out of his bar, calling it a fifteen minute break.

Once successfully pushed out the back door, Beth spun around to Daryl about to ask what the hell he was doing when he suddenly grabbed her face, a cheek in each of his calloused hands, and his lips were pressed firmly to hers. She had half a mind to push him away, not forgetting about how she hadn't heard from him at all in a week and now here he was, forcing his mouth on hers. Instead, she reached up with her small hands and tangled her fingers in his hair, her tongue begging for access into his mouth craving a taste of him.

The action must have caused Daryl to realize what he had done because he pulled back, chest heaving slightly, but his hands still hadn't left her face. Beth was looking at him through half lidded eyes, kind of dazed by the whole ordeal. When she bit down on her lower lip, Daryl just about threw caution to the wind, wanting to throw her up against the wall and take her...he refrained with what little self-control he had left.

He finally let his hands drop from the blonde's flushed face. "Shit...that ain't how I planned this goin' at all."

Beth was saddened by losing the feeling of his cracked hands on her skin and furrowed her eyebrows, not exactly sure what he meant by his statement.

He saw the confusion evident on her face and stumbled over his words to explain himself. "I came here to uh...you know...shit..." Beth reached up and this time she was the one grabbing his face in her hands. She did it gently and forced him to look her in eyes. He took a deep breath before continuing. "I wanted to come here to tell ya that I wanted to try this" he gestured between them "shit out...try it again."

Beth's smile could have lit up the sky and Daryl knew he had come to the right decision, if only to get that damn smile on her face. She moved her hands from his shoulders down to his waist and squeezed tight, Daryl gently placing one of his hands on her elbow, silently enjoying her closeness. "You have no idea how happy I am." Her words muffled by his chest as the hair on her head tickled his chin.

"Yeah I do." Because in that moment, Daryl Dixon was finally happy again too. He didn't know what would come of their relationship this time around but he was glad that they had a relationship again.

Beth pulled back from him and he felt alone now with the loss of her body. "I ain't leavin' till your shift's over, not with those assholes in there." Beth rolled her eyes and suppressed a smile, thinking about how protective Daryl had always been of her.

He leaned over slightly and pressed a quick peck to her lips, before ushering her inside proclaiming to Jake that he had found his waitress slacking on the job like it had been Beth's idea to go out back and 'chat' with him.

The rest of the night was a breeze for Beth. Although fatigued, her attitude had changed for the better, the grin never leaving her face. Daryl stayed true to his word, staying until the bar closed, walking her to her car when they were leaving. She told him she had Monday night off and he said he would call. This time, Beth knew she didn't have to worry about wondering if Daryl would ever call, waiting by the phone for a week. In fact, as soon as she got home she saw she had a text from Daryl.

_Just makin' sure you got home ok._

Beth responded with a thank you, telling him that she was indeed alright, and that she was really glad he came to the bar tonight. She fell asleep with the phone in her hand and that soft little smile still on her face.

**Just letting you know it won't be total smooth sailing from here on out but YAY finally together again!**

**Let me know what you think, it fuels my enormous ego ;)**


	7. Chapter 7

Beth sat across from Daryl, her mind wandering to think about the last two weeks as she ate her dinner. After that Friday at Jake's, not a day went bye that Beth didn't talk to Daryl. Some days it would just be a text message here and there, and others would be phone calls asking if they could meet up. It started out nothing more than awkward, dating her husband again, but things were starting to feel normal again. Sometimes they felt like they barely knew each other, but there were the other times, ones like when Daryl would rub that spot on her lower back, that would feel so familiar and it felt like things had never changed.

On this night, Daryl was treating Beth to dinner at The Bone Yard, a much livelier place than it's name deceives. It was a little barbeque joint that had picnic tables and sawdust on the floor, a seemingly perfect place for them to eat as it was nothing fancy and the food was delicious evidenced by the lack of conversation because the couple was too busy stuffing the food in their mouths, not minding the sauce smeared around their lips.

This was another one of those times where everything felt familiar and comfortable. With anybody else, Beth would have been embarrassed by the mess on her face but this was _Daryl._ Instead of wiping the dark grease off her face after every bite, she let it build up. Daryl let her know he thought it was cute in his own way, smiling as he eyed her mouth or making lame jokes like 'you've got something right there on your face' to which Beth would play dumb and swipe at her cheek, purposely missing the mess, and asked if she had gotten it.

By the end of the meal, Beth did decide she would put her napkin to good use and wiped her lips clean to which Daryl scoffed. He paid for the meal and they made their way outside, his hand making it's way into hers shyly somewhere between the front door and the truck. He was the perfect gentlemen when he opened the door for her, Beth giggling as she looked at him. It was then that he saw the damn sauce she missed near the corner of her mouth. If Daryl were a true gentlemen then he would have told her about it, or even wiped if off with a finger, but he had been holding back from Beth for weeks now, trying to re-familiarize himself with her again before he brought her back to his – their bed, and he had been doing well at it. Tonight, however, he didn't have the self control he normally did. Maybe it was because of that little dress she had on or the way she smelled like flowers, but Daryl would never really know what caused him to lean forward and lick the sauce off her mouth.

Beth's lips fell open to form the shape of an o , a gasp escaping with her breath. The breathless sound was enough to awaken the animal that had been residing inside Daryl. He grabbed her hips, fingers digging into the bones, and pulled her against him, and his lips claimed hers. Beth immediately kissed him back with equal intensity, hoping this night would go where she thought it would and that Daryl wouldn't back out.

Their tongues battled for what felt like hours but in reality was only a couple minutes before Daryl broke the kiss, almost picking Beth up to get her into his truck as fast as possible. As soon as she was in, he slammed the door before rushing the driver's side, hopping in and cranking the engine.

Beth couldn't keep the smirk off her face seeing how impatient Daryl was. She put her hand on his thigh, rubbing gently in a small circle and she saw his fingers grip the wheel turning his knuckles white. She trailed her fingers up, lazily dragging a fingernail against the rough fabric of his pants until she reached her destination. She rubbed her palm over the bulge, making Daryl hiss, flexing his fingers once on the wheel giving Beth a feeling of power, knowing she had control over him at this point.

She teased him through his pants for a few more minutes, knowing they weren't that far from his house. Daryl had to be careful not to swerve off the road when he felt her unzip his jeans, grabbing inside to pull out his now rock hard dick, her tiny fingers wrapping around it, thumb brushing over the top to swipe at the pre-cum that had pooled. Daryl bit his lip and groaned making Beth smile up at him with innocent eyes. She was anything but innocent right now.

She dragged her fist up and down, slow like torture, for a few minutes, feeling her own excitement between her thighs. Daryl saw her out of the corner of his eye, using all of his own control to try and keep his eyes on the road. She was undoing her seat belt and moving closer to him. He was about to snap at her and tell her to put the thing back on when she leaned down and took him into her mouth.

"Fuck." was the only thing Daryl was able to get out of his mouth besides a whimpered moan that he was a little embarrassed by. Her mouth was hot, wet, and inviting. He now had the task of focusing on the road while simultaneously trying not to blow his load in her mouth already.

By the time they pulled up to his house, not an inch of his dick was left unexplored by Beth's precise movements with her tongue. He shut off the truck and wrapped his fingers through Beth's hair and pulled her head up as she whimpered, crushing his mouth to hers for a heated kiss. His lips never left hers as he shoved his member back into his pants, not bothering with the zipper. He opened the door, pulling Beth out the driver's side behind him. She giggled at his behavior. She had missed this, much like everything else with Daryl.

They were on each other again from the moment Daryl shut and locked the door behind him. His hands grabbed at Beth's waist as he turned her and pushed her against the door and placed his lips to neck. His tongue darts out, tracing over her flesh as one of the hands on her waist moves upward to cup her breast. Beth cried out as he bit down on her neck the same time his grip tightened on her chest. She was panting now, Daryl playing her like a well tuned instrument.

He had to have her and he didn't think that after her performance in the car that he would be able to make the short trip to the bedroom. Her sounds were egging him on as he removed himself from his pants once again and he quickly moved his hands to the backs of her thighs, hoisting her up against the door. Daryl rubbed himself against Beth's hot core, feeling the wetness of her panties against the skin of his cock as she wrapped her legs around him.

He kept one hand on her ass, not denying his urge to squeeze, and the other moved between them. He could feel that she was already plenty ready evidenced by the wetness he felt as he pushed her underwear aside. He rubbed his dick up and down her slit, earning a moan every time he hit her clit.

Done with the teasing, Daryl pressed into her. Beth let out a breathy moan feeling him push deep inside, stretching her. She clung to him with her nails in his back as he moved inside of her and she felt his warm breath tickling at her neck. It was nothing short of hot and everything about it was dirty for them between the biting, scratching, and curse words flying out in rough whispers.

It didn't last long enough for Beth to get off, but Daryl didn't have any trouble finding his release as he thrusted inside of her. His fingers gripped her ass so hard that she had no doubt there would be bruises. It didn't bother her, she wanted him to mark her. He did in more than one way as he came, the warm sticky fluid filling her, as he panted her name over and over as if it was a prayer.

His forehead now rested against hers as he tried to slow his rapid heart, his hand sliding to move from her ass to her thigh as her legs dropped from him causing them to crudely separate at the hips.

Daryl wasn't ignorant or dumb, he paid attention to things. He knew Beth hadn't been able to cum yet and he also knew he wasn't gonna let his reputation with her go to shit. A grin appeared on his face as he grabbed her by the hand and walked her to the bedroom where he laid her down and put that mouth of his to some good use until she was _screaming _his name.


	8. Chapter 8

**Here's chapter 8 which includes a little more smut. Hope you enjoy!**

Daryl had been awake for a while now; but he hadn't moved yet because he was caging the beautiful blonde tightly in his arms, enjoying it way too much to relinquish his hold. The soft steady tempo of her breathing let him know that she was still asleep even if he couldn't see her face. His hand was pressed hard against her stomach, keeping her naked body pushed against his. His other hand was stuck underneath her, but he managed to curl his arm so that he was playing with her hair.

His mind wandered back to the night before, to the hours after he had worshiped her with his mouth. Much like their first reunion, their love making count didn't stop at one.

_Beth was underneath him on her stomach, hands fisted into the sheets beneath her. Her legs were pressed together and his were on either side of her thighs. He had his hands gripping the round cheeks of her ass as his cock pushed inside of her. _

_She felt impossibly tight in this position, with her hips slightly elevated. Daryl was glad he had already cum once tonight, otherwise he would have lost it within thirty seconds of starting with this. _

"_Fuck, you feel so fuckin' good." It seemed that the more they went on, the looser Daryl's lips became. _

"_Oh my God...Oh Daryl!" Beth's voice was hoarse, her throat aching as this round had started off with Beth using her mouth to worship the man she loved._

_He loved hearing his name come out of that perfect mouth- it made him grip her that much tighter. He felt her clench around him again, almost painfully so, and that sent him over the edge. After they came together, Daryl collapsed on top of her, slightly holding himself up with his hands so he didn't smother her. They were both sweaty and trying to catch their breath. _

_He rolled over and pulled her on to his chest as her nails traced over his heart, they both soon fell into exhausted, dreamless sleep. _

Daryl felt his cock twitch at the thought and that wasn't even the end of his trip down memory lane. They had only been asleep for about an hour before Beth woke him up for round three.

_Beth had crawled on top of him, awakening him with short soft kisses against his lips. His hands went to her hips and it was then that she noticed she had succeeded in waking him. She pulled her head away from his face, it was then he saw the devilish grin, once again letting him know that this woman was not as innocent as she seemed. _

_He groaned as she ground herself against him, instantly waking another certain part of his body. Insatiable was the word that came to mind as he felt her juices dripping down onto his balls. _

"_Again?" It came out sounding like it would be a chore, but Daryl just couldn't believe that she couldn't seem to get enough. _

_She nodded, biting her lip. "I need you." She needed to feel him claim her again. She needed him to let her know that this was all real- that she was his and he was hers. Beth was afraid she was dreaming, and if she woke up he would be gone. That this night was just a figment of her memory from so long ago._

_Daryl had pulled himself up in the bed until he was sitting with his back against the headboard, pulling Beth with him until she was once again in position. He grabbed his aching cock in his hand, lining himself up with her entrance. He looked back up into her eyes as she slowly sank down all the way. The feel of her wetness dripping onto his groin made him shiver slightly, the fire burning in her couldn't be quenched._

_She put her hands on his shoulders as he put his own back on her hips. They sat there for a moment just enjoying the feeling of each other. It was a true nod to their relationship. One minute they were passionately rough and the next they would be comfortably intimate. _

_They stared each other right in the eyes as Beth started to ride him. He leaned down to nip at her neck, soothing the small love bites with the slickness of his tongue making her gasp in pleasure. _

_He could tell she was getting close again when her nails dug into his shoulders. He couldn't even begin to count the scratches on his body, much like the bruises on hers. The night had been raw and animalistic and now it was ending on a much sweeter note. _

_Her lower jaw dropped as a long moan came out when she spasmed around him, milking him for everything he had left in him. Her body went slack against his and he wrapped his arms around her, now thoroughly exhausted even more so than before._

"_Is it safe to sleep now or are we goin' again?"_

_Beth snorted into the junction of his shoulder and neck. "Sleep..." He let out a chuckle hearing the fatigue washing over her._

Looking at the clock now, Daryl noticed he had been able to at least get a few hours of sleep before his internal clock woke him. He had about twenty minutes before he had to leave for work which wasn't much time as he really needed a shower first.

He sighed as he tried to maneuver out from under her without having to wake her up. He knew he failed when he heard that little hum leaving her lips. He pressed a soft kiss against her hair.

"Mornin'." His voice was soft in the morning glow, making Beth smile.

Beth cleared her throat but it didn't help to remove the sleep from her voice. "Morning...what time is it?"

"Early. I gotta get up for work though." Daryl frowned at the idea of leaving Beth to go to work, but his boss had been more than gracious with him over the years. It would be bad from for the lead mechanic to call off work on such short notice to play hooky.

Beth nodded, not quite registering his words as she rolled off his arm and pulled a pillow into her arms to hug.

He didn't bother covering himself as he walked to the bathroom, starting up the shower as hot as it would go. He was very refreshed when he got out but hissed when he rubbed the towel over some particularly harsh scratches from the previous night.

He walked back into the room, Beth now sitting up in bed rubbing her eyes, probably not having been able to go back to sleep. They were bloodshot and her hair looked like a bird's nest but she was still beautiful to him.

He pulled some clothes out of the drawers, quickly throwing them on as he watched Beth. She looked around the room before her eyes landed on him.

"What time do you have to leave?" Daryl could hear the disappointment in Beth's voice, knowing that his schedule hadn't changed over the years.

He glanced over at the clock again. "'Bout two minutes."

Beth looked uncomfortable as she nodded and got out of the bed, looking for her clothes. "I should get goin' then." Her voice didn't match up to the sentence. She figured that Daryl didn't want her hanging around his house all day while he was at work. It seemed a little too domestic for this stage in their relationship. She didn't want him to think that just because they were having sex, that it meant she took it like they were going start acting like husband and wife, effectively freaking him out.

"Uh...yeah." Daryl didn't really know what to say. It wasn't that he wanted Beth to leave, he internally smiled at the thought of coming home to her again. But he figured if she was saying that, then she must be looking for an out so she didn't feel obligated to stay until he got home from work. While Daryl may know how to read a woman in bed, he wasn't nearly a pro when it came to conversations. If he was, he might have figured out that Beth didn't really want to leave but didn't want to stay without an invitation.

She looked back at him for a second before continuing her search for her dress. She found it and threw it on, thankful that her underwear was right next to it as she shimmied them up her legs.

Daryl cleared his throat before leaving the room. He managed to find his phone, wallet, and keys by the time Beth had found her shoes and bag. He walked outside and realized he had picked her up yesterday.

"Shit..." Daryl grunted to himself, realizing his dumbass moment as his ears tipped pink.

Beth must have realized the same thing as she quickly spoke up. "It's okay, I can call someone for a ride. I don't want you to be late."

Daryl shook his head at her. "Nah, it's alright. It'll only take a few minutes. Come on."  
Once again, being the gentleman that he is, he walked her to the truck and opened up the door for her, helping her inside before making his way around to his own side.

She was silent in the truck, as was he. Neither really having all that much to say, and that was okay. For them, silence wasn't always a bad thing. Daryl reached over and grabbed her hand, his thumb caressing her fingers. The little action made the corners of her mouth twitch into a small smile.

Back at the farm, Beth didn't want to delay him any further, so she undid the belt and quickly leaned over, giving him a short kiss before thanking him. She had shut the door and began walking towards the house as Daryl stuck his head out the window.

"I'll call ya later, okay?" He yelled, getting Beth to turn around. Seeing her that last moment put a smile on his face, she could make his day by just looking at him.

Beth smiled and nodded before waving him off. The morning had shown that while their communication may not be up to par, they were really trying. They had both shown each other that this was something that they truly wanted and would what it took to make it all work out.

Beth went inside and headed straight for the shower before collapsing into bed to get some sleep, knowing she had to work another shift that night. Even the thought of it made her feel more exhausted than she already was.

**Please review. They are my cures to TWD Off-Season Depression (it's a legit medical condition).**

**Let me just say though...that episode was awesome but now I can't believe we have to wait. **


	9. Chapter 9

**Ahhh I've finally got a chapter for you guys! I'm proud of myself for getting this out because my week has been hell and I did a graveyard shift last night and haven't really slept yet, so sorry if this isn't totally up to par. Since it's been so long since I've updated (for me), I tried to make this chapter longer than usual. I also added in some smut because I spent a lot of my shift last night reading trashy novels that got my creative juices flowing.**

**Thanks to Riain for being my beta! I hope you feel better soon hun! **

**Hope you guys enjoy :)**

It was early on Saturday morning that Daryl woke up with the little blonde in his arms. Beth didn't come to Daryl's until three in the morning after the bar closed. She hadn't seen him since he dropped her off at the farm on Monday; but today they had planned to go find a car for Beth, so she thought it would be easier if she just knocked out at his place. She indeed had knocked out almost immediately after Daryl let her in, barely making it to the bed before she was asleep, which is why he decided not to wake her just yet.

Daryl gently rolled Beth off to the side and pulled his arm out from underneath her. He leaned down to place a soft kiss on her shoulder before getting out of the bed. After relieving himself, he made his way into the small kitchen, yawning along the way. Daryl sighed when he opened the fridge, thinking about how he really did need to pick up some food. He was in luck though because he did have bacon and eggs. He figured the best way to wake up sleeping beauty would be with enticing food.

Daryl's stomach rumbled as he finished cooking up the meal, not realizing how hungry he was. He turned off the stove and placed the food on plates before going back to the bedroom to drag Beth out of bed.

Daryl brushed the wild hair out of Beth's face, grinning at the fact that she hadn't even taken her makeup off before going to sleep, which was now making her slightly resemble a raccoon. He placed a kiss on her forehead before moving his lips over to whisper in her ear, "Beth, time to get up."

Beth moaned, shook her head and turned so she was face down in the pillow, making Daryl chuckle. He shook her by the shoulder, still being so gentle it was like he thought she was a porcelain doll. "Don't you wanna know what I have for you?"

He could tell her interest was piqued, because she picked up her head, raising a lazy eyebrow at him. He leaned in and pressed a kiss to her dry lips. "Breakfast." Beth hummed, and he could almost hear the debate she was having with herself in her head, whether it was worth it or not to leave the comfort of bed. He figured he could sweeten the offer by telling her what the meal consisted of. "I made eggs...and bacon."

Beth groaned, knowing she had to get out of bed with the promise of bacon awaiting her in the next room. Daryl gently tapped her on the butt beckoning her to follow him to the kitchen. She pulled herself out of bed moaning as she stretched. She had been feeling basically like shit all week long, and she prayed she wasn't getting sick. Beth knew she couldn't afford to miss any work, especially since she was about to drop a nice amount of money on a car.

The smell wafted into her nose when she walked into the next room. "Mmm...smells good." She yawned and rubbed her face, sitting down at the small table. Daryl put the plate in front of her and she wasted no time before she started to dig in. By the time Daryl had sat down with his own plate, half her meal was gone. A soft smile graced his lips and he raised an eyebrow at her. She mumbled a quick '_shut up_' which only made her face turn red as she realized her mouth was full of food. Daryl barked out a laugh at her expense.

"Maybe I shoulda made more." It irritated Beth that he was so amused at her expense. She quickly swallowed down the mouthful before speaking this time.

"Oh come on, I haven't eaten in like 24 hours. Been feeling too shitty and now that I'm finally hungry, I'm taking full advantage of it."

"Alright alright, I'll quit teasin' ya."

"Much obliged."

They finished their meal mostly in silence, as Beth was still trying to wake her brain up. When they finished they shared a shower together, and she reveled in the feeling of Daryl caressing her body with soap. He didn't push her to do anything and for that, Beth was grateful because she wasn't exactly feeling in the mood.

She was still dragging when they made their way out to Daryl's truck and once inside, she rested her head against the window. Beth wasn't exactly a morning person, but this was just out of the ordinary for her. Daryl placed a hand on her thigh and squeezed. "Ya alright?"

She nodded. "Mhm, guess I just haven't been sleeping enough." Daryl nodded, accepting her answer for the time being as he cranked the engine and started heading toward their destination.

The first few places they visited had been busts. The cars had definitely been overpriced lemons and Beth was really glad she brought Daryl with her, knowing she probably would've just bought the first one she saw.

By three in the afternoon, they had arrived at a friend of Daryl's who was selling his old car. Nothing special, just a small sedan but it would be perfect for Beth. The car was in great shape but was still a little overpriced and Daryl had managed to talk him down a few hundred bucks. Finally they agreed on a deal and Beth had herself a _'new'_ car.

They left in separate cars but met back up at Daryl's house. He walked inside with her trailing behind. He threw his keys on the counter, where they almost slid right off onto the floor, before he walked over to the couch and plopped down. Beth put her hands on her hips and stared at him.

She stood there for a moment before Daryl finally spoke up. "What?"

Beth smiled, but it wasn't one of those cute little smiles she usually used. It was somewhere between a grin and a smirk and it was a subtle hint to Daryl as to what she was actually feeling and he could tell she was definitely awake now. She walked over to him and slowly straddled his lap. "Thank you for helping me with the car."

He put his hands on her hips, his fingers rubbing in small circles underneath the hem of her shirt. "S'nothin."

Beth leaned her head down and claimed Daryl's mouth. Her tongue slipped in between his lips and he gently bit down on it making her moan into the kiss. His hands moved up to grasp her ribs and she fisted her hands into his shirt, grinding her pelvis against the growing bulge in his jeans.

She pulled back, her lips swollen and chest heaving. "I feel like I owe you a thank you."

Daryl chuckled. "I mean...if ya say so, I ain't gonna argue."

He let go of her as she climbed off of his lap, getting to her knees in between his legs. Beth rubbed her hands up and down his thighs as she licked her lips. Her hands made their way up his legs slowly, lightly brushing over his hard cock making Daryl squirm.

When she decided she was done with her teasing, she looked him in the eyes as she pulled the button of his jeans and slowly dragged the zipper down. Reaching inside, she grabbed his cock and released it from its confines. She pumped it a couple times before letting go, the heavy weight falling to rest against his stomach.

She leaned in and ran her tongue along the underside, from base to tip, making Daryl shudder. When she reached the top, she sucked him into her mouth and his hands immediately went to those golden locks and gripped them hard. She swirled her tongue around, licking up all of the pre-cum. "Fuck." Daryl spoke as his hips jerked up, forcing himself further into her wet mouth.

Beth moaned around his cock, slowly starting to bob up and down, trying to take as much of him into her mouth as possible. It felt like a spark of electricity shot through his body every time he hit the back of her throat.

"God damn baby girl. You love sucking my cock, huh? Like the way it feels in that hot mouth of yers?" Daryl groaned, enjoying the feel of Beth's lips wrapped around him.

Beth nodded then moaned and Daryl felt like he was about to blow his load right then. He felt the vibrations as the muffled sound escaped her, the head of his cock push deeper into her mouth, feeling her throat muscles constrict as she swallowed around him, forcing his cock in all the way. He could feel the breaths coming from her nose on his pubic hair, knowing that her oral airway wasn't going to suffice with his dick crammed down it.

"Ah shit. Takin' it all like a good girl." Daryl praised, making Beth work that much harder.

Beth's own core was on fire and she was sure she'd have to change her underwear because it would take ages for the wetness to dry. With one hand on his thigh, she let the other trail down to the waistband of her shorts and let her fingers slip inside. She moaned against his cock again as her fingers came into contact with her clit and started to rub.

That was all it took for Daryl, seeing his woman trying to get herself off because she was so turned on by sucking his cock, for him to lose it. "Fuck, I'm gonna cum." He tried to pull her by the hair to get her off, but Beth pulled against him as she felt him start to tighten up. His hot seed shot down the back of her throat in spurts and Beth swallowed every last drop as he came with a loud groan.

She pulled her mouth off of him with a pop and leaned back on her heels, one hand still buried in her pussy. It had to be one of the hottest things that Daryl had ever seen. He wasted no time in pulling her up. His mouth smashed against hers and he tasted himself on her tongue. He turned them around so Beth sat with her back against the couch cushions and he pulled her shorts violently down her legs.

Pulling her legs over his shoulders, Daryl licked up her wet slit, inhaling her scent. When his tongue found her clit, she jerked and he sucked it into his mouth. He could tell she was close by the way her muscles kept contracting. He plunged two fingers into her tight pussy and curled them so they rubbed against her g-spot. With his mouth and fingers working simultaneously, Beth came crashing down around him. She pushed her hips up and pushed his face further into her wetness as she came with a yell. He greedily licked up the new juices that were now flowing and only when she relaxed did he remove his fingers and pull his face away. He used the back of his hand to wipe off his mouth before moving up her body to give her a gentle kiss. He pressed his forehead against hers as they both regained their breath.

"Best thank you ever." His comment made Beth giggle. He stood up pulling her along with him and did up his pants again. Beth found her panties and shorts on the floor and pulled them back up her legs.

"I need food now." It was Daryl's turn to chuckle as he looked at her. It was obvious she was totally spent.

"Didn't I already feed ya this mornin'?"

Beth scoffed at him, "Sometimes I like to eat more than once a day. Come on, you can take me to the diner."

"Lucky me." Daryl grabbed his keys off the counter as Beth dragged him out the door.

She rolled her eyes at his comment. "Don't act like you don't love it."

They had just ordered their food at the diner and Beth was currently running her foot up and down Daryl's shin as he just smiled at her. Anyone looking at him could see he was really happy and that was for the first time in a long while.

Of course not even a simple happy moment such as this one could go without a little bit of drama for Daryl. He inwardly cursed as the bell above the door jingled and in walked Mandy. He hadn't seen her since that night he fucked her in his truck and left her hanging. He prayed that she wouldn't come over but because of his rotten luck, that didn't happen.

Mandy's eyes landed on him and a sickening smile made its way onto her features. She didn't even look at Beth as she walked over to him.

"Hey Daryl," her voice sent a shiver down his spine, "haven't seen around in a while." Mandy leaned over and put her elbows on the table, her body slightly turned away from Beth who now wore a confused expression.

Daryl cleared his throat before speaking low. "Been busy." He hoped she would take the hint and walk away but apparently she took that as an invitation or a challenge, he wasn't quite sure which.

Mandy's hand was on his bicep, caressing it, when she spoke seductively. "But you're free now, right?" Daryl squinted at her and was about to ask if she was blind or just plain stupid, but before he got the chance, Beth jumped out of the booth and stormed out the door.

"Shit." Daryl stood up immediately, pulling his wallet out and throwing some cash down on the table. He strode towards the door, hearing Mandy mumble a not so innocent "Oops." behind him.

He found Beth already in the truck, staring straight ahead. He opened the driver side door and climbed in. "Beth..." He was ready to start apologizing when Beth spoke up.

"I'm not mad." The words somewhat stunned him.

Daryl just nods for a second. "Okay...you wanna tell me what's goin' on then if you ain't mad?"

Beth shrugged. "I guess I'm just jealous. I had to get out of there before I ripped her trashy hair out." Daryl tried to stifle his laugh at the mental image. "Is this how you felt? When I showed up with Zach?"

It was Daryl's turn to shrug. "Guess so...but listen, I haven't even seen her since you showed back up here, way before we started anything again."

Beth leaned over and pressed a peck on his lips. "You don't have to explain yourself...I trust you." She pulled back and clicked her seat belt on. "I think more than anything I'm upset I didn't even get my food."

Daryl truly laughed at that and the sound made her stomach flutter. "S'pose we could fix that. What ya want?"

"Maybe we could go to that place, Frosty's or whatever it is, where they have those really thick shakes and super salty french fries?" She fluttered her eyelashes at him as he sighed.

"Damn, Beth that's like thirty minutes away!" She stuck her lower lip out at him and he could tell she was about to start begging. "Shit...you're lucky you're pretty." She smiled, content she was getting a fill for her craving, and Daryl smiled at seeing the happy look appear, knowing he'd do almost anything to put that look on her face.

**Extra reviews because it's my birthday on Monday? Please? **

**I'll have another update up soon, I promise!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Good news - I haven't died or abandoned the story! Work has been crazy busy and stressful but I didn't have a whole lot to do today so I thought I'd get this chapter out to you guys who have been so patient! I seriously appreciate all the support! Anyways, little bit of a time jump here. Hope you guys enjoy!**

A month had gone by since Daryl helped Beth find a new car. It was now mid-June and Beth had a hot date...with her sister. They planned to spend the evening in true Greene sister fashion, meaning they would pig out on food, drink some wine, and gossip.

Beth was getting ready at Daryl's house, which was now where she spent most of her time. She hadn't actually moved in with him – he hadn't asked, but that didn't mean he didn't enjoy her being there most of the time. She was in the bathroom throwing her hair up into a ponytail when Daryl appeared in the doorway. He was leaning against the frame with his arms crossed as they made eye contact in the mirror.

Pulling the elastic band into place, she turned to face him. "I'm thinking about cutting my hair. It's getting way too long to be manageable."

Daryl uncrossed his arms and reached behind her to run his fingers through the long ponytail and gave a gentle tug when he reached the end. "Mmm...nah."

Beth smiled. "No?"

He shook his head at her. "No."

"You know I'll have to cut it eventually, right?"

"No." Apparently that was the only word he knew now.

It was Beth's turn to shake her head at him, chuckling softly. She knew he loved her hair but she would indeed have to cut it otherwise she'd be sitting on it soon. Turning back to the mirror, she grabbed her chapstick and applied some to her lips.

"You goin' to Maggie's?"

She nodded as she recapped the lip balm. "Yeah, Glenn's working so it'll be just us."

"Alright...I was gonna head on over to Patton's. Some of the guys from work were gonna meet up there for some drinks." She could tell by his tone that he was asking for permission without outright doing it. The thought of that made Beth smile.

"Sounds good, go have some fun." Ever since the run in with that trashy woman at the diner, Daryl had been good about making sure that Beth had no reason to be jealous. She trusted him and wasn't going to worry about him going out without her.

Suddenly Daryl's hands were wrapped around her waist from behind with his lips on her neck. He sucked at the skin while Beth placed her hands over his. When he pulled back she still felt his hot breath hitting her exposed flesh. "You know...we could both just stay in and have some fun together."

She was about one kiss away from saying yes to that, so she pulled away from him and turned around to face him as he dropped his hands to his sides. "You're insatiable."

He stepped closer to her, pinning her between his hard body and the bathroom counter. "Maybe so." Daryl leaned in to kiss her when Beth beat him to it. She pecked him on the lips and ducked under his arm to walk out of the bathroom.

"I'll be back by ten! See ya later!" She yelled back over her shoulder. She heard him grumbling about something, still in the bathroom, as she grabbed her purse and left.

Beth and Maggie set up camp in the living room. They each had a bottle of wine to themselves and were currently chowing down on bowls of ice cream. The conversation flowed easily between them making so they they made their way through different topics quickly. Maggie had heard all about how things were going between Beth and Daryl, while Beth had listened while Maggie bitched about the snotty new girl at her work.

After swallowing a huge bite of mint chocolate chip, Maggie cleared her throat. "I think something's wrong with me." Beth raised an eyebrow, her own mouth full of strawberry sorbet, silently urging her to continue. "I just want to be pregnant and it's not happening. There's gotta be something wrong with my uterus or something."

Beth put her bowl in her lap, reaching a hand over to rub Maggie's leg. "Don't talk like that. You guys have only been trying for a few months right?" Her sister nodded. "And didn't they say it could take some time because you were on those pills for so long?" She nodded again. "So give it some time before you condemn your reproductive organs, alright? I'm sure it'll happen soon."

Maggie let out a huge sigh. "I guess I've always been impatient."

This made Beth giggle and nod in agreement. "This is very true. Just give it some time...trust me, once you are actually pregnant, you'll be so uncomfortable you'll wish you could turn back time."

Maggie was about to open her mouth to speak when the phone ringing interrupted her. She put her bowl to the side and stood up to go answer it leaving Beth with her thoughts. If she didn't know any better, she'd think that she was pregnant herself. All the mood swings, the cravings, and not to mention that everything denim that she owned seemed just a little too tight. She would have laughed at the thought of being pregnant if not for remembering how Daryl and her hadn't been especially careful using protection. She knew it had been stupid of them, but what were the chances that she was actually pregnant? She had been pregnant before and knew what it felt like so surely she would know if she was again.

She looked up when Maggie walked back over and was about to bring up her musings but didn't when she saw her sister's face. Maggie looked white as a ghost and her mouth was slightly open. Beth shoved her bowl to the side and stood up, reaching out for her sister. "Maggie! Are you okay?"

Maggie shook her head. "Daddy's in the hospital."

Beth tried to get more information out of Maggie as they raced to the hospital, but all that she knew was that their mother called to inform them that their father had started having chest pain and so she called 911 and they rushed him to the emergency room.

They rushed inside the building and up to a desk where a young receptionist sat. Beth realized that the sisters must have looked ridiculous with their red faces and watering eyes but then thought that she must be used to seeing worried family members coming in. "Can I help you?"

Maggie nodded. "We're looking for Hershel Greene." The receptionist nodded and started typing something in to her computer.

A few seconds went by before she spoke up again. "Are you the family?"

"We're his daughters." Beth's voice came out shaky, as she was on the verge of tears.

"Alright then. They just moved him up to a room. He's on the second floor, room 213." Maggie thanked the woman as she started walking quickly towards the elevators with Beth trailing behind.

They found room 213 and didn't bother knocking, instead opting to just barge in. Faced with the sight of her father hooked up to IVs and machines, Beth immediately started crying. She was barely aware of her mother wrapping her arms around her and her father trying to comfort her with words from his hospital bed.

When she finally composed herself to silent tears, she walked over to Hershel's bedside to stand next to Maggie. She placed her hand in her father's, and brought it up to her mouth to place a soft kiss on it. "What happened?"

Her mother looked at her through her own puffy eyes and spoke. "He had a heart attack. The doctors are saying he should be okay but they want to keep him here for at least the night to watch him."

Beth's breath hitched. "Oh Daddy..."

Hershel removed his hand from Beth's and brought itup to her hair, smoothing it down with his hand. "Gonna take a lot more than that to get rid of me Bethy, you know that."

Despite the sickening worry and pain from seeing her father laying in the hospital bed, Beth couldn't help but smile knowing that he was indeed fine if he was still able to make jokes.

The Greene girls spent the next few hours at their father's bedside mostly talking but sometimes just sitting to enjoy the comfortable silence between them. The nurse came in to tell them that Hershel should probably getting some rest. Maggie offered to drive Beth home but she had other things in mind.

Stepping out into the hallway after Maggie had left, she pulled out her phone from her pocket seeing she had a few missed calls. She sighed, seeing they were all from Daryl. She hovered over the keypad and dialed. He picked up on the second ring, not even bothering to say hello.

"Jesus Beth, I've been tryin' to get a hold of you. You said you'd be back by ten!"

Beth closed her eyes, feeling the immediate comfort she received by his voice, even if he was a little upset with her.

"Daryl...can you come get me?"

She heard him sigh on the other end. "Sure baby girl, you still at Maggie's?" She thought she might actually swoon at him calling her baby girl again.

She shook her head at his question but quickly realized he couldn't see her. "No, I'm at the hospital."

She heard noises in the background, probably him trying to rush to get out the door. "Shit! Are you okay? What happened?"

"Daryl, I'm fine. It's my daddy...he had a heart attack but he's okay."

"Damn...alright, I'll be there soon."

She hung up and went back inside the room to kiss her daddy and say goodbye. She reminded her mother to call and let her know when Hershel would be getting discharged before being shooed out by the nurse's stern stare.

Once outside, she pulled her jacket tightly around her and sat down on the curb to wait for Daryl. It couldn't have been longer than five minutes before he was there. He left the car running and his door open as he rushed around the front of the truck and pulled her into his arms just as she made it back to her feet.

"Ya alright?" He spoke into her hair.

She nodded as best she could when his hard chest and arms had her trapped. "I am now."

**I seriously hope the next chapter won't take me as long to get out. As I've said before, I have the chapters planned out at least until chapter 19 and even after that I know where the story is going so it's just a matter of finding the time and energy to actually sit down and write. **

**Let me know what you guys think of this one!**


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